System and method for control of medical equipment using multiple wireless devices

• US 8,937,561 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canyon Ridge Resources, LLC
• Original Assignee: Canyon Ridge Resources, LLC
• Inventors: Shields, Gregory, Woodward, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US13/448,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 378/114, 378/189, 600/437, 600/126, 200/5.C
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3692 involving signal transmission without using electrically conductive connections, e.g. wireless communication or optical communication of the MR signal or an auxiliary signal other than the MR signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/02 Controlling members for hand actuation by linear movement, e.g. push buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/30 Controlling members actuated by foot
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/14 adapted for operation by a part of the human body other than the hand, e.g. by foot
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a body-scanning device using multiple wireless devices is disclosed. The method includes communicating a secure wireless signal from a footswitch enclosure to a footswitch receiver coupled to the body scanning device in response to an actuation of a footswitch zone carried on a footswitch enclosure. Additionally, a wireless signal is communicated from a handswitch enclosure in response to an actuation of a handswitch zone and communicated to a handswitch receiver located in the footswitch enclosure. The wireless signal is then communicated from the footswitch enclosure to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device to enable an operator to control the body-scanning device using the handswitch or the footswitch.

Claims

1. A wireless control system for communicating with a body-scanning device using multiple wireless devices, comprising:

a footswitch enclosure;

at least one footswitch zone containing a switch carried on the footswitch enclosure, wherein the switch in the at least one footswitch zone is configured to be actuated with a person'"'"'s foot;

a wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure and configured to form a wireless connection between the wireless footswitch and a footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device to communicate actuation of the footswitch zone to enable an operator to control the body-scanning device using the footswitch;

a handswitch enclosure;

at least one handswitch zone carried on the handswitch enclosure containing a switch, wherein the switch in the at least one handswitch zone is configured to be actuated with a person'"'"'s hand; and

a wireless handswitch transmitter coupled to the handswitch enclosure and configured to communicate actuation of the at least one handswitch zone carried on the handswitch enclosure to a handswitch receiver coupled to the footswitch enclosure, wherein the wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure is further configured to communicate signals from the handswitch receiver to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device to enable an operator to control the body-scanning device using at least one of the handswitch zone and the footswitch zone.

2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor electrically connected to the wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure, wherein the microprocessor is operable to scan a status of the switch in each of the at least one footswitch zones and the at least one handswitch zone.

3. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a watchdog timer configured to receive a pulsed signal from the microprocessor that is pulsed at a predetermined rate when the microprocessor is operating within selected parameters, wherein the watchdog timer is operable to reset the microprocessor when the pulsed signal is pulsed at less than the selected rate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter is a secure wireless transmitter that is operable to transmit a signal to the body-scanning device to turn off an output of the body scanning device when the pulsed signal is pulsed at less than the selected rate.

5. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a priority switch coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the priority switch is operable to select between the communication of actuation of the at least one footswitch zone and communication of actuation of the at least one handswitch zone to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the body-scanning device is selected from the group consisting of a fixed x-ray emitting device, a portable x-ray emitting device, a fluoroscope, a magnetic resonance imager, a nuclear magnetic imager, an ultrasound imager, and a proton scanner.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one footswitch zone contains at least two switches connected in series, with the at least two switches in the footswitch zone configured to be actuated to actuate the footswitch zone.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one handswitch zone contains at least two switches connected in series, with the at least two switches in the handswitch zone configured to be actuated to actuate the handswitch zone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless footswitch receiver is configured to recognize only the wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure during a paring operation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless footswitch receiver and the wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure are placed in non-discoverable mode after pairing to provide enhanced security.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the footswitch zones on the footswitch enclosure and the handswitch zones on the handswitch enclosure are illuminated to enable the wireless control device to be used in a darkened environment.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure is operable to transmit scrambled data and the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device is operable to receive the scrambled data and descramble the data and communicate the descrambled data to the body scanning device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the handswitch transmitter is operable to transmit scrambled data and the handswitch receiver is operable to receive the scrambled data and descramble the data and communicate the descrambled data to the secure wireless transmitter for communication to the secure wireless receiver and the body scanning device.

14. A method for wirelessly controlling a body-scanning device using multiple wireless devices, comprising:

providing a footswitch enclosure to carry at least one footswitch zone containing a switch, wherein the switch in the at least one footswitch zone is configured to be actuated with a person'"'"'s foot, wherein the footswitch enclosure is coupled to a wireless transmitter operable to communicate a wireless signal from the footswitch enclosure to a footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device in response to an actuation of the at least one footswitch zone; and

providing at least one handswitch zone containing a switch that is carried on a handswitch enclosure, wherein the handswitch enclosure includes a wireless handswitch transmitter configured to communicate actuation of the at least one handswitch zone to a handswitch receiver coupled to the footswitch enclosure, wherein the secure wireless transmitter coupled to the footswitch enclosure is further configured to communicate signals from the handswitch receiver to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device to enable an operator to control the body-scanning device using one of the at least one handswitch zone and the at least one footswitch zone.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising selecting between a priority of communication of actuation of the at least one footswitch zone and communication of actuation of the at least one handswitch zone to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device.

16. A method as in claim 14, further comprising:

providing that the footswitch zone and the handswitch zone each include at least two switches connected in series; and

identifying that one of the footswitch zone and the handswitch zone have been actuated when each of the at least two switches located in the respective footswitch zone and the handswitch zone have been actuated.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising monitoring a condition of the microprocessor to determine when the microprocessor is operating within predetermined parameters and transmitting a signal to the footswitch receiver coupled to the body-scanning device to turn off an output of the body-scanning device when the microprocessor is operating outside of the predetermined parameters.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising monitoring the condition of the microprocessor using a watchdog timer configured to receive a pulsed signal from the microprocessor that is pulsed at a predetermined rate when the microprocessor is operating within the predetermined parameters, wherein the watchdog timer is operable to reset the microprocessor when the pulsed signal is pulsed at less than the predetermined rate.

19. A method as in claim 14, further comprising illuminating at least one of the at least one footswitch zone and the at least one handswitch zone to enable the wireless control of the body-scanning device in a darkened room.

20. A method as in claim 14, further comprising providing an integrated switch pad carried on a footswitch enclosure containing a plurality of substantially flat footswitch zones with a tactile divider located between each footswitch zone to provide feedback to a user concerning a location of the user'"'"'s foot on the footswitch enclosure.